1. Field
Embodiments of the invention relate to an operator cab for heavy equipment, such as a crane or aerial device. Particularly, embodiments of the invention relate to an operator cab with two openings on nonparallel sides for access to the operator cab. Further embodiments relate to an operator cab with a single opening that radially spans up to and including an approximate 170-degree angle about a vertical axis.
2. Related Art
Operator cabs for heavy equipment, such as aerial devices are sometimes mounted on a vehicle chassis behind a chassis cab. The heavy equipment frequently includes an implement, such as a crane or digger derrick, that is also mounted to the vehicle chassis. In some instances, both the implement and the operator cab may be mounted to a turntable, which is mounted on a deck, and the deck is mounted on the vehicle chassis.
The conventional access to the operator cab is through an opening provided by a side-facing door on the opposite side of the implement. Because of the narrow width of the chassis to allow for road travel, the heavy equipment does not provide a deck with sufficient width to allow the operator to exit the cab onto the deck at all points of rotation of the cab relative to the deck. Without a sufficient width of deck for the operator to stand upon, the operator must climb up the side of the heavy equipment while entering or exiting the operator cab.
The problem of a safe point of ingress and egress is not solved by only a front-facing door. The front-facing door provides direct access between the operator cab and the deck while the implement is in a stowed position. In the stowed position, the implement is in-line with a major axis of the chassis, and as such, the implement is positioned parallel with a length of a deck of the heavy equipment. During operation, however, the operator cab and the implement may be facing off the left or right sides of the heavy equipment. When the operator cab is facing the sides, the front-facing door now has similar problems as a side door in that to exit the cab, the operator must climb on the side of the heavy equipment or jump from the cab and to the ground below.